Road guard



I c. c. AH'LQES ROAD GUARD Feb. 18, 1941.

Original Filed July 8, 1935 3 Shaets-Sheet 1 CHEL C. 14/ 155, 1 M W i/IiI Feb. 18,1941. I g; AHLES Re. 21,715

' ROAD GUARD Original Filed July 8, 1935 3 Sheets-Shee't 2 Inventor: vCflEL C. AO /LE5, N

Feb. 18, 1941. c. c. AHLES Re. 21,715

' ROAD GUARD;

Original Filed July 8, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet s.

hwenfor: Y 6742/. C. flHL E5,

Reissued Feb. 18, 1941 PATENT OFFICE n'osn GUARD Carl C. Ahles, Albany,N. Y.

Original No. 2,204,556, dated June 18, 1'940, Serial No. 30,374, July 8,1935. Application for reissue November 13, 1940, Serial No. 365,398

16 Claims.

This-invention relates to road guards.

- Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a broken andcompacted side view of the preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top view of this preferred form.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken from the line III-III in Figure 1.

Figures 4 through 13 are views similar to that 10 of Figure 2 butshowing various possible modifications of the preferred form.

I More specifically, Figures 1 through 3 show a road guard whichincludes a series of upstanding posts i. The end ones of these postsmount 15 turnbuckles 2 which carry sheaves 3 which endless wire ropes lare bent. These wire ropes extend transversely past all of the postsexcepting the end ones, and the latter are braced against the pull ofthese ropes by means of an- 20 chorage bars 5 which connect withturnbuckles 6. The functions of these various turnbuckles are apparent.

Furthermore, each of the posts I between the end posts are provided withbrackets which sup- 1 port the wire ropes or cables 4 at successivepoints in their length.

The bracket illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 consists'of a piece offlat spring metal 1 in the form of a loop with its free ends 8 and iloverlap- 0 ping, the outer end portion 9 having a series of parallellongitudinal slots l0 extending backward from a line near the free edgein a circumferential direction to a distance sufllcient to permit thefree play of the cables therein. The ears ii 35 are bent in at the endsof the slots to provide bearing surfaces for the cables. When the cablebears inwardly (toward the post) against either or both of these ears,it will press them and the corresponding portion of the loop inwardwhile to sliding freely thereon.

The bracket is fastened to the post as its inner central portion bybolts II. The cables 4 in the slotsifl bear also against the inner end 3of the inner portion of the bracket. A pin I2 passes 45 between thecables and the outer end portion 9 of the bracket so a s to hold thecables firmly against the inner'end portion 8.

when a car strikes the guard, say at the point X (Figure 2), the cablesare bent in as indicated 50 in dotted lines. The free ends of thebracket 1 are bent into the positions shown in dotted lines, collapsingor coiling further about each other. Since the cables are free to slidelongitudinally, they themselves take practically all the longitudinalstress. Therefore, the resultant pressure around I on the bracket is inthe transverse direction indicated by the arrow Y. This transverseforce' is taken up by, the coil spring action of the bracket.

Thus the novel bracket as illustrated in Figure 5 2, it will be noted,comprises a sheet of flat springj metal so shaped and coiled in planthat the extremities thereof overlap one another, the outer extremityremote from the post being notched to receive the guard rail cable andthe inner ex- 10 tremity being in a position to coact with the ca blepositioned in the notched portion. The novel bracket thus absorbstransverse forces transmitted thereto by the cable guard rail element.The

inwardly bent or flared ears 3 in eifect provide bell-mouthed notchesfor the cables which increase the cable bearing area and thusminimizewear.

The invention is applicable to road guards of various other kinds. Theguard rail may consist of the wire cable or rope illustrated in Figures1, 2 and 3, or it may be made of flatstrips, woven wire fabric, orothermaterial. The transversely reacting spring bracket may also be made ofvarious other materials than the flat spring met-a1 illustrated and maybe made in loops or other shapes, as square, elliptical, cylindrical,etc.

I So also the fastening means may be varied by the substitution ofvarious types of clamps, clips, bolts or the like, for those abovedescribed.

With the above in mind, some .of the various possible modifications ofthe invention are illustrated by the drawings and will now be described.

It might be mentioned at this point that the. form of post is entirelyimmaterial. In Figures 1 through 3 the posts are illustrated as beingmade from rail sections. However, in the various modifications which areto be disclosed the posts are shown as being made of wood.

Figure 4 showsa post 19, 'a piece of flat metal 40 23 formed intoacylindri'cal loop with its respective ends overlapped at one side, asat I8, and a bolt 2| which passes completely through both sides of theloop formed by the piece 20. A wire rope 22 extends past this post i3,and the piece 20 is provided with a circumferential slot in which thisrope 22 is retained by means of a pin 23 in much the same manner as wasdisclosed in the preferred form of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a post 30 to which a piece of flat metal 3i iscircumferentially mounted by means of a bolt 32 that extends radiallycompletely therethrough. The ends 26 of thispiece 3| are turned inwardlyand ride against the bolt 32. A wire rone 33 extends transversely pastthe post 30 and is passed through a slot in the piece 3| in the samemanner as was the case in the modification illustrated by Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a post 34 to which a piece of flat metal 35 is fastenedby means of a bolt 35. The ends of this piece 35 are turned inwardly andtheir respectively opposite faces placed in contact with each otherinwardly, as at 35". A wire rope 31 is mounted by this piece 35 in thesame manner as in the case of the form shown by Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 shows a post 38 which mounts an endless fiat metal loop 39 bymeans of a bolt 40, and a wire rope 4| is mounted by this loop 39 in thesame manner as in the case of Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 8 shows a post 42 to which an endless loop 43 of flat metal isfastened by meansof a bolt 44. This loop is characterized in that it hasa portion 45 that is opposite the pots 42 and which is sharply loopedout from the rest. The portion 45 is slotted, and a wire rope 45 ispassed through the slot and retained-in position by means of a pin 41.

Figure 9 shows a post 48 to which a piece of flat metal 49 istransversely fastened by means of a bolt 50. The ends and 52 of thispiece are overlapped at a position opposite the post 48,

and the outer end 52 is looped sharply outwardly and slotted, a wirerope 53 being passed through the slot. and retained in position by meansof a pin 54.

In Figure a new form of the invention is encountered. In this a post 55has a loop of flat metal 56 fastened transversely to it, the ends -ofthis piece 56 being arranged on either of the sides of the post 55 andthere fastened by means of a bolt 51. This piece 56 is appropriatelyslotted soas to mount a wire rope as that is retained in position bymeans of a pin 59.

Figure 11 illustrates a modification that is muchlike that describedabove. Either side of a post 60 mounts two pieces of flat metal BI and62 which cooperate to form a loop and which are respectively fastened tothe sides of the post 50 by means of a single bolt 63. The respectiveends of these pieces 6| and 62 overlap and are slotted, a wire rope 64being retained in the slot by means of a pin 65.

Figure 12 shows a post 56 to one side of which a piece of fiat metal 51is fastened by means of a bolt 68. This piece is curled around to form acylindrical loop that contacts the front of the post 56, the portion ofthis piece opposite the post 66 being slotted so as to mount a wire rope68 in the same manner as has been described,

In Figure 13 a post 10 is characterized by having its front face curved,and a piece of flat metal H is bent into the form of a cylindrical loopand fastened transversely to this curved face by means of a bolt 72. Awire rope I3 is mounted by this piece II in the same manner as has beendescribed in connection with the modification illustrated by Figure 11.

I claim:

1. A road guard including the combination of a post, a fiat metal springmounted by the post and having an outwardly curved portion spaced fromthe post and at least one circumferentially extending slot in theportion opposite said post, a strand extending through said slot, andmeans for retaining said strand therein with freedom for movement in thedirection of its length.

- 2. A road guard including the combination of a post, a fiat springmetal loop transversely portions of the bracke 21,715 g a I mounted bysaid post and having at least one circumferentially extending slot inits portion opposite said post, a strand extending transversely pastsaid post and arranged in said slot, and a pin arranged between saidstrand and the inside of said loop. I

3. A road guard including the combination of an upstanding post, a pieceof fiat spring metal formed into a loop with its ends in overlappedrelationship, the outer one of said ends having at least onecircumferentially extending slot formed therein, means for fasteningsaid loop transversely to said post with said ends opposite the latter,at least one strand extending transversely past said post and arrangedin said slot so as to bear against'the inner one of said ends and. a pinpassed between said strand and the inside of the outer one of said ends.

4. In a traflic guard for highways, in combination, a rigid post orsupport, a plurality of vertically spaced substantially parallel cables,and a tubular bracket of resilient sheet metal rigidly secured to thepost and having cable receiving notches formed therein at points remotefrom the post, means being provided for con fining the cables in saidnotches respectively.

5. In a' traffic guard for highways, a plurality of vertically spacedsubstantially parallel cables and carrying means therefor comprising aplurality of horizontally spaced supports, each such support including abase member rigidly anchored to the ground, and a bracket secured to thebase member and projecting laterally therefrom, the bracket having aplurality of rope receiving notches formed therein remote from the basemember, means for retaining theropes in said notches, said bracket beingresilient, so as to be horizontally defiectable.

6. In a highway guard, a support, a tubular member of sheet metal, rigidaxially, and transversely flexible, said member having a portion securedto said post and a second portion diametrically opposite said firstportion which is provided with elongated horizontally extending cablereceiving notches, and spaced parallel cables having intermediateportions secured within said notches.

7. Ina highway guard,.a support, a tubular member of sheet metal havingaxially extending free edges, the marginal portions of said memberadjacent said edges contacting and overlapping, said overlappingportions being provided respectively with elongated registering cablereceiving notches, cables having portions positioned within saidnotches, and means securing said member to said support. I

8; In a traflic guard for highways, a plurality of vertically spacedsubstantially parallel cables and carrying means therefor comprising aplurality of supports spaced to one side of said cables and anchored tothe ground and brackets intermediate said supports and cables, eachbracket mediate portions of said cables being positioned within saidnotches and protected by adjacent from contact with vehicles. V

9. In a traffic guard for highways, a plur lity of vertically spacedsubstantially parallel cables and carrying means therefor comprising aplurality of supports spaced to one side of said cables and anchored tothe ground, and brackets intermediate said supports and cables, eachT'bracket comprising a flexible metallic :s'heet having one portionsecured to a support and a second portion spaced from the support, saidsecond portion having a smooth outer convex surface and being providedwith spaced horizontally extending elongated notches for the receptionof intermediate portions of said cables, such intermediate portions ofthe cables being protected by adjacent portions of the bracket fromcontact with vehicles.

10. In a traflic guard for highways, in combination, :a rigid post orsupport, a bracket of sheet metal curved in a horizontal plane so as tobe horizontally flexible under the influence of horizontally appliedforces, said bracket being vertically rigid and having an apertureformed in one portion thereof for the reception of a horizontallydisposed cable, means securing a portion of the bracket remote from saidaperture to the support, a horizontally disposed cable having anintermediate portion within said aperture, and means for retaining thecable within said aperture.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10, in which the cable retainingmeans comprises a member formed separately from the bracket and whichloosely engages the cable so as to permit "longitudinal movement of thecable relatively to the bracket.

12. A road guard including the combination of a post, a flat springmetal loop mounted by said post and having at least onecircumferentlally extending-slot in its portion opposite said post, aguard rail element extending past said post and arranged in said slotand a retaining member arranged between said element and the inside ofsaid loop.

13. A resilient bracket for yieldirrgly mounting a guard rail elerrient,said bracket comprising a sheet of spring metal so coiled in plan and soconstructed and arranged that the extremities thereof overlap and arefree to move with relation to one another under impact, the brackethaving a seat portion adapted to be secured to a1supporting post, theouter free extremity remote from the seat portion being notched toreceiveaguard rail element and the said inner free extremity beingdisposed opposite said notched portion so as to be in position forcoaction with the :said guardrail element.

14. A resilient bracket foryieldingly mounting seat portion beingnotched to receive a guard cable and the said inner .free extremitybeing disposed opposite said notched portion so as to be in a positionfor coaction with said guard cable, there being associated with thenotched portions bent extensions forming increased bearing surfaces forthe guard cable.

15. A road guard bracket comprising a sheet of fiat spring metal soshaped and coiled in plan that the extremities thereof overlap oneanother with a space between them, the outer extremity of the bracketbeing notched to receive a guard rail element and there being associatedwith the notched portion bent extensions forming increased bearingsurfaces for the guard rail element.

16. A road guard bracket comprising a sheet of spring metal so shapedand coiled in plan that the extremities thereof overlap and frictionallyengage one another, the outer extremity of the bracket being notched toreceive a guard rail ele- -ment and forming a curved nose portion on theroad side face of the bracket in a plane beyond the road side face ofsaid guard rail element so as to protect said element in the zone whereit engages the bracket.

T CARL C. AHLES.

